We stood in the hall between our two classrooms, our arms intertwined as we held onto each other as tightly as we could. This was the start of the worst year of my life.

"We knew this would happen one day," Akari sighed as she unhooked herself from me. I held onto my own hand so I would not reach out for her again. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Have fun in class!" She swiftly turned and entered class 1-B. I swallowed hard, brushing my long dark hair out of my eyes before entering 1-A. This was the first time that we were ever put into different classes. They never split us up.

I made my way to the front of the third row. An invisible girl sat to my left and a boy with a tail sat to my right. I hung my head and pulled out a book, burying my head in it. Most of my classmates were loudly conversing about the point scores for the entrance exam they had taken and introduced themselves to one another. One of the boys was chastising another for putting his feet on the desk. I recognized the one doing the chastising as one of the Soumei Private Academy boys from my previous school. I think his name was Iida.

"Welcome to UA's hero course," a man in a yellow sleeping bag said as he sipped on a juice box. He unzipped his sleeping bag and dragged it into the classroom, dropping it beside the podium. I looked up from my book. "I'm Shota Aizawa – you're teacher. Right, let's get to it. Put these on and head outside." He held up a blue uniform with red and white detailing. It was our gym uniform. I grabbed my own after everyone and followed the rest of the class out to the change rooms before meeting Aizawa on the dirt field outside the gym. "We're having a quirk assessment test."

"Aren't we going to miss orientation?" A girl with a brown bob with two longer pieces in the front clasped her hands together. Aizawa turned to face us.

"Here at UA, we're not tethered to traditions. That means I get to run my class however I see fit. You've been taking standardized tests most of your lives – but you've never got to use your quirks in physical exams before. The country's still trying to make us all equal by not allowing us to use our quirks. Bakugo – you were the top student for the entrance exam, what was your farthest distance for the softball throw in junior high?"

"Fifty meters I think," the blonde boy who had been chastised said simply. Aizawa threw him a ball and he moved to stand in a shot-put circle.

"Use your quirk," Aizawa said before Bakugo began to wind up his pitch. He let off an explosion in the palm of his hand, the ball went flying high in the air. "All of you need to know your maximum capabilities. It'll help you on your hunt to be a pro-hero." He held up his phone to us, the screen read seven hundred and five-point two meters. Everyone began to get excited to use their quirks. I pulled up the front of my gym uniform and hid as much of my face as I could. An evil smile grew on our teacher's face. "Oh – so you all think that this is all fun and games? Idiots. Today you'll participate in eight physical tests, whoever comes in last will have none and be expelled. If you've got a problem, you can head home right now."

Great, Akari and I used our quirks in tandem most of the time. We had passed the exam to get into UA working together. I was going to be sent home for not showing that level of skill on my own.

"You can't send one of us home. We just got here! It isn't fair," the same girl pouted.

"Oh, and you think natural disasters are fair?" Aizawa prodded, "or power-hungry villains? Or catastrophic accidents that wipe out whole cities. No, it's a hero's job to combat that unfairness. For the next three years, UA will throw one terrible hardship after another at you. So, go beyond – plus ultra style. Show me it's no mistake that you're here. Let the games begin."

The first test was the fifty-meter dash. I was up against a boy with multiple arms. We took our stance and the signal fired. The boy who sat behind me started to run. He was large and not too stealthy. I let my legs decompose into atoms and quirks, sinking into the ground to my knees and I rushed along to the end.

"Whoa! She can move through mater – how cool is that," a boy with green hair began to murmur. My time read one point five seconds. I let myself come back up to the surface, my socks and shoes were at the start line. I walked back to the starting line and picked up my items, holding them close to my chest while I joined the rest of the class.

Next was the grip test, I only managed to score 15 kilograms. I barely hit the minimum distance for the standing long jump. Repeated sidesteps and the toe touch were easier for me since both Akari and I skated as kids. I did the same technique with letting my feet dip into the ground for the long-distance run. I absolutely failed at the ball throw, sit-ups, and push-ups. My quirk was not made for tests like this.

I held my elbow with my hand, fingers tapping lightly as Aizawa revealed the scores. I tied for dead last with the green-haired boy who broke his finger throwing the ball. "I was lying – no one is going home. It was just a rational deception to make sure you gave it you're all in the tests. Pick up your syllabus in the classroom. Midoriya – go have the old lady fix you up." He handed the green-haired boy a note before leaving us all alone. Why did he decide to let us stay?

"You went to Soumei, correct?" The boy with engines in his legs stood in front of me. When did he appear? I nodded, my free hand moving to cup my other elbow tightly. "If I'm not mistaken – your part of the Ying-Yang Twins."

I frowned at that nickname. Akari and I had such polar opposite quirks and personalities that people had started that awful name in elementary school. "That's not my name though."

He stiffened, "yes, my apologies. You're Makoto Satoshi and your sister is Akari Satoshi." I nodded. "I've never seen the two of you apart before, did you only get into UA?"

I bit my lip, "I have to go." I turned quickly and ran into the change rooms, hiding in a stall with my legs tucked into my chest while I waited for it to empty. I let my head smack against the door. Why was I so damn awkward? I could make a friend. I would have to try and make a friend if Akari would not be with me all year. I let my head fall back and stare at the ceiling for a moment before exiting the stall and changing.

Akari and I had always imagined that we would become heroes together and work as a team. We had trained since we were kids to use our quirk in tandem – and now we have the chance to become heroes and we were forced to part. I sighed, shrugging my uniform back into place and locked my gym attire away. I exited the changeroom to an empty hall, everyone must have gone back to class already. I slunk along the walls to our class, opening the door as quietly as I could.

"Satoshi! What took you so long," Aizawa asked. I kept my gaze on the floor and bowed at the waist quickly before scurrying to my desk and hiding my face in my hair from everyone. He groaned before returning to the syllabus he had been reading prior. We were set to have our first hero class tomorrow. Oh no. "Well – you'll all be fairly well acquainted with each other's quirks by the end of the semester. You'll know your strengths and your weakness' that you'll have to overcome if you want to be heroes. Now, get out of here. You'll meet your other teachers tomorrow." He looked over the class once more with slightly hooded eyes before taking his sleeping bag and left. I quickly gathered everything that I needed and left the class, heading to the trail entrance where Akari and I had arranged to meet.


"How was school Akari," Grandmother asked as she filled our bowls with rice. Akari and our Grandmother were cross-legged on their cushions and relaxed. I knelt on my cushion and kept my back straight, eating as the two chatted.

"Fantastic. I've already made friends with a girl from America and we're planning to see a movie this weekend." Akari beamed as she dug in.

Grandmother nodded approvingly, "don't forget your training. You're on track to walk in your Mother's footsteps."

"Of course – training always comes first," my sister smiled even wider. I quickly finished my dinner and took my dishes into the kitchen to wash with the dinner dishes.

"You've got to put more focus on your transitions."

"Can we practice after dinner?"

"I suggest you take the day off from our training in preparation for your training at school."

"I don't have hero studies tomorrow – Makoto has it instead."

"I do not care about her; my only care is for you."

I quickly finished my dinner and took my dishes into the kitchen to wash with the dinner dishes while they continued their normal dinner conversation. Since we were born, Grandmother acted as if I did not exist. She showered Akari in attention, lavish gifts, and priority training sessions. Akari was the spitting image of her daughter after all – quirk and all. I dried the dishes and put them away before retreating down the hall to my bedroom.

I rolled out my futon and tossed my sheets over top lazily. I pulled out the album and laid across my bed, opening the first page. The first photo was my Grandfather and I giving the camera a thumbs up – I was only seven at the time it was taken. Cancer took him when I was thirteen. I promised him that no matter what, I would do my best to become a hero. The next page had a photo of our Mom holding both of us on the day we were born. Akari and her bright smile and blonde hair. Then me with my black hair wailing loudly. The next group of pages had news articles on the pro-hero Milky Way and her speculative dating life with the villain Sirius. We did have one family photo – but Grandmother hated it so much she had burnt our father's face out of it. The fact that I had Sirius' quirk gave the world proof of their relationship. And it was why she hated me.

The last page had the article on their final fight. They had destroyed a neighbourhood in Tokyo and each other. We were not even a year old when that happened.


"I am here!" A small gust entered the class as All Might grabbed onto the doorframe and entered the class. "Coming through the door like a hero!" The class began to fawn over him. It was pretty cool to have All Might as a teacher. "Welcome to the most important class at UA. Here you'll learn the basics of what it means to be a pro and what it means to fight in the name of good. Today's lesson is battle training! One of the keys of being a hero is looking good – they were made based on the quirk info sheets you submitted. Get changed and meet at training ground beta."

The wall began to shift and shelves of cases with numbers appeared. I picked up my case after Shoji and Hagakure had taken theirs. I hurried after the class, clutching my case close to my chest.

"Young Satoshi!" I froze. Was that All Might noticing me? I wanted to melt into the floor. "You normally use your quirk with your sister, do you not?"

I turned on my heel to face him, my hair hiding me. I nodded slowly. I felt his hands quickly adjust my poster, setting me upright with my head up, shoulders back, hair out of my face, and my hands holding my case in front of me. His large smiling face inches from my own.

"You don't need your sister to be a great hero. You are your own person Satoshi. As a pro – you may have to work alone. Your technique with your sister at the entrance exam was impeccable. But, now it's time for you to shine brightly on your own." All Might let out a loud laugh before he continued down the hall.

I walked into the change room, opened the case, and quickly changed into my suit. Akari and I had designed out suits together since we had been planning on working together. My suit was a skin-tight, backless, black bodysuit with silver stitching at the seams. My shoes were leather mid-calf combat boot with a two-inch heel. My sister's suit was the same but in white and gold.

I stood awkwardly in the group, looking at how cool everyone looked. They all looked like real heroes.

"Sir," Iida asked, "this is where we took our entrance exam – are we going to conducting urban battles?" Iida was donned in a suit of armour similar to what his family wore.

"Not quite – I'm moving you two steps ahead! Most fights you see on the news take place outside. Statistically speaking, most encounters with dastardly villains occur indoors. Think about it; backroom deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs. Truly intelligent criminals stay in the shadows. For this exercise, you'll be split into groups of two in two on two indoor battles. The best training is what you get on the battlefield. It's not like fighting a robot, you'll be dealing with actual people now."

Everyone began to ask questions. They made my head spin.

"The situation is this – the villains have hidden a nuclear warhead somewhere in their hideout. The heroes must foil their plans. To do that the good guys must capture the evildoers or foil their plans by Recovering the weapon. Likewise, the bad guys win if they protect with payload or capture the heroes.

"You'll be choosing your teammates by random draw," All Might pointed to two boxes. We lined up in class order and picked our balls. I pulled out a black ball with a gold Z on it. "Sorry about that Satoshi – you'll be going last with whoever volunteers to go again. It's the unfortunate reality with an uneven class number."

I nodded and crossed my arms in front of my chest, making myself as small as I could. The first teams to do were Iida with Bakugo as the villains against someone named Midoriya and Uraraka. We filed into the basement of the building to watch what was happening on a large screen. I stood at the back of the class, leaning against the wall. Iida was taking this way too seriously. His team lost though – the Bakugo kid was too intent on fighting against Midoriya to keep Uraraka from out thinking Iida.

The rest of the matches were not too interesting. A few managed to finish their objective in mere moments while others struggled until the bitter end. It was easy to formulate a plan if I were to be a hero – if I were stuck as a villain it would be harder to keep them occupied for fifteen minutes.

"Satoshi – do you want to be the hero or the villain?" All Might put his hands on his hips, chest puffed out.

I shrugged, "can I not go?"

"Hero team it is!" All Might laughed, "who wants to volunteer to try again?"

Iida raised his hand, "I volunteer to be the hero with Satoshi!"

All Might laughed, "very well – any volunteers for the villains?"

"Me," the blonde boy that Iida had spent the past two mornings yelling at stalked to the front of the room.

A spiky redheaded boy crushed his two fists together, "I will too!"

"Perfect! Satoshi and Iida versus Bakugo and Kirishima. Let's head to the next building and we can get set up." All Might roared, exiting the basement. Iida and I stood outside of the next building while the class cycled into the basement and our opponents made their way to the weapon. Iida and I looked over the map of the building. The weapon was directly three floors up after you walked twenty feet in.

"We need to be careful of Bakugo and his explosions, he seems to be in a worse mood since we lost to Uraraka and Midoriya," Iida said, taking off his helmet.

I sighed, "give me a second." Iida began to protest – knowing exactly what I was about to do. I let my body dissipate into atoms and quirks. I moved quickly through the walls and up into the room the two faux villains were hiding in. I let myself slink over the weapon and let it melt into me. I quickly returned to the front of the building and let the weapon reappear before stitching my body back together. I frowned, feeling the cool cement floor on my feet. The support company that the school used had made my costume safe to use my quirk in – but my boots were not.

"The hero team wins! Please return to the basement," All Might sounded through our earpieces.

"Wow, your clothes are still on," Iida adjusted his glasses, "that's amazing."

I frowned, "you've already seen enough of me – let's not make it a trend." Iida nodded. I picked up my boots and continued barefoot to the basement. I sat near the door to slip of socks and boots back on.

"How the hell did we lose that?" Bakugo shouted as he and Kirishima entered the basement.

Kirishima held his head between his palms, "the weapon was there one second and then it poofed – gone!"

All Might let out a booming laugh, "Young Satoshi! Why don't you explain what your quirk is?" I kept my face downturned to my boots as I tied them, shaking my head. All Might sighed. "Satoshi's quirk allows her to control and manipulate the atoms of anything. She can also break down molecules to their base elements."

The redhead turned to look at me for a moment before turning back to All Might, "I didn't understand a word you just said."

"Everyone can go change and head back to class. Way to go, everyone," All Might gave us all a thumbs up before rushing out of the basement.

I held my elbow, leaving with the rest of the class to change back into our uniforms. I stopped when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I recoiled away from their touch, shoulders up to my ears and held my case tightly to my chest.

"Whoa – sorry, did I scare you," the blonde electricity uses held up his arms, palms turned up. "I just wanted to ask if you were related to that villain – serial or Sirius, whatever his name was. Your quirks are similar, aren't they?" I froze for a second before running ahead of the class to the change rooms. I locked myself into a stall, lifting my feet onto the small bench to hide. Damn it. I did it again.